Pin box stop and spring



Sept 25, 1952 w. l.. TANcRl-:D ET AL 3,055,580

PIN BOX STOP AND SPRING Filed July 2l, 1959 f5 n/ZSP DDEDEUUE.

@Ummm-MENU- mmmummmummm mmllmmumumw f A m INVENTORS United States Patent 3,055,580 PIN BOX STOP AND SPRING William L. Tancred, Wethersfield, and Ralph V. Bennett,

South Norwalk, Conn., assignors to Sperry Rand Corporation, New York, NX., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 21, 1959, Ser. No. 828,531 Claims. (Cl. 23S-60) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in the construction of pin boxes for use in calculators of the key-set type.

In machines of this type there is a travelling pin box with a series of settable stop pins for each order. As the keys are operated successively to set up the pins in each order the box travels to the left until the pins for all the desired orders are set-up after which a motor bar key is depressed and the add racks move rearwardly to encounter the set pins.

The main object of the invention is to improve the snap action of the pins when being depressed or restored.

A further object is to provide a construction of box which is simple, efficient, and economical in construction.

Still another object is to provide a box which is cheaper to tool-up and produce and presents a more flexible unit in assembling the parts.

In brief and general terms, the invention includes a pin which is disposed in a supporting frame in guide ways for vertical movement and the side of the pin supports a spring member one end of which is reversely curved to cooperate with the guide ways to snap the pin into its lower or upper position and latch it in said positions unless moved by outside pressure.

The invention further includes a main pin box frame which is adapted to receive and support a series of laterally abutting pin-supporting frames which are separately assembled as individual units and then nested within the main frame. These pin-supporting frames can thus be separately inserted, and removed at will. Each pin-supporting frame is preferably in the form of a shallow elongate open box the elongate walls of which are provided with pairs of spaced alined notches to act as guide-ways for pins which .are laterally inserted therein and then held in place by a suitable cover. The pins are of the construction above described. These pin-supporting boxes are disposed in the main frame with their bases vertical and with their elongate walls horizontal.

A present preferred form which the invention may assume is illustrated in the drawings, of which:

FIG. l is a partial plan view showing some of the pin-supporting boxes in position on the main frame;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of one of the pin-supporting boxes, partly broken away, and showing pins both in the raised and depressed positions;

FIG. 3 is a partial vertical transverse section taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. l; and,

FIG. 4 is a detail of a pin showing another form of spring mounting therefor.

Referring to the drawings showing the present preferred form of the invention there is shown the main pin box frame having side walls and 11, and front and rear walls 12 and 13. This box is an improvement of the type of pin box shown in FIG. l of U.S. Patent No. 2,688,439, issued September 7, 1954 to W. W. Landsiedel. The rear wall 13 is lower than the front wall 12 to act as a 9 stop for the accumulator racks and the front wall 12 is more elevated to avoid blocking the rearward movement of said racks.

To be disposed and supported within this main frame are a series of pin supporting frames or boxes, each box supporting a series of pins for an order of the accumulator into which the numbers are entered in the usual manner. Each pin-supporting frame preferably comprises a shallow elongate stamped metal box having an elongate base portion 14 and oppositely disposed shallow walls 15 and 16. As disposed in the machine the base of the box is disposed vertically and the above mentioned walls extend horizontally therefrom as shown in FIG. 3 particularly. The free edges of the walls 15 and 16 are provided with spaced oppositely disposed notches or slots 17. These notches act as guide ways for the pins 18 which are inserted laterally therein for vertical movement as shown in FIG. 2. Each pin has upper and lower lateral projections 19 and 20 to limit the vertical movement of the pins in their guide ways. After all the pins are assembled in their box a cover 21 is disposed thereover to form with the box a unitary structure for that series of pins. The opposite ends of the box are provided with projections 22 which extend into suitable enchoringr slots 22' in the front and rear Walls 12 and 13 and the ends of the cover 21 are likewise provided with projections 23 which extend into similar slots 23 in said Walls. Thus the box with its pins and cover are suitably anchored in place. These parts are so located including the above mentioned slots that the series of boxes are disposed in rather close abutting relationship across the main frame as shown in FIG. l.

The invention further includes novel means to hold the pins latched in either the upper or lower positions and this means includes a spring on the side of each pin. This spring may be a single leaf spring or a double leaf spring. The latter is shown in the drawings and may be U-shaped with the median portion 24 disposed between closely related studs 25 on the side of and near the bottom of each pin. The upper end of each leaf of the spring is provided with reversely curved portions 26 and 27. As shown in FIG. 2 when the pins are in their upper positions both curved portions are above the upper wall 15 of the box and the lower curved portion 26 will prevent the pins from moving down unless definite pressure is applied thereto. On the other hand when the pin is depressed it will be seen that both curved portions are below the upper wall 15 and the upper curved portion 27 will prevent the pin being moved up except under delinite pressure applied thereto. Thus it will be seen that the pin 18 is moved to one or the other position with a positive snap action and is latched in either position.

In the form of spring mounting shown in FIG. 4, the median portion of the spring is wrapped at least once around a single stud 25 but the free ends of the spring are constructed as above mentioned. It will, also, be understood that while we have springs with two free ends or leaves having reversely curved portions it is within the scope of the invention to .achieve the snap action with a spring having only one leaf with a reversely curved upper portion.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a simple, efficient, compact, and economical pin `box which can be easily and quickly assembled and disassembled with a minimum number of parts and can be quickly and easily assembled in nested relation with other similar boxes to form the complete pin box as shown. The form of unit can `also be economically tooled-up and manufactured.

Wfhile fthe invention herein has been fully shown and described in detail with respect to one preferred present form which it may assume, lit is not to be limited to the specic form shown `since lmany changes and modlications may be made in the structure without depamting from 'the spirit and `scope of the invention in its broadest aspects. Hence it is desired to cover any 'and all forms and modifications `of the invention which may come within the lspirit .and `scope of yany one or more of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a calculator, a main pin box `inaine including a pair of oppositely disposed frame walls, a pin supporting box arranged within said main pin box iranie and supported by the fname walls, said pin `supporting box llaving separable walls with at least one of said separable walls being detachably mounted on said box frame walls to provide for removal of said one wall irom fthe box irarne, a plurality of aligned slots formed in a pair of oppositely disposed walls of said pin supporting box7 and a plurality of settable pins arranged 'for slidable mos/e- Irnent within the box in directions normal to said pair of walls and parallel to Ithe frame walls, said pins having opposite ends lthereof projecting through said slots.

2. In a calculator, the combination comprising a inain pin box ffrarne having front and rear walls with mounting slots formed in said walls, :a separable pin supportn ing box of shallow elongate forni having a base portion and 'a pair of side walls extending perpendicnlarly ironi said base portion, a detachable cover member for said pin supporting box arranged parallel to said base portion, said pair of side walls provided with a plurality or" aligned slots, a denominational series of settable pins mounted in said aligned slots -ior movement in directions normal to said side walls, the opposite end of each settable pin provided with lateral projections tto limit the movement ci the pins, each of said settable pins having studs on the side thereof, a leaf spring having a portion positioned between said studs for movement therebetween, the ends of said leaf yspring remote `from said studs having reversely curved portions Ito coact with the walls of one of said aligned slot-s ,to snap the pin into and lioid [the pin in either a inst or second position upon movement of the iirsit mentioned portion of said leaf spring between said studs, and projections on (the ends of said pin supporting box and cover member detachably mounted in the mounting lslots of said front and rear walls of the main pin box frame yfor positioning the pin supporting box therein.

3. In la calculator, a pin supporting box including a first pair of spaced oppositely disposed walls each provided `with aligned slots and a second pair of spaced walls :arranged perpendioularly to said iirst pair of wall-s, plurality of settable pins arranged ior slidable movement in directions normal to said rst pair of wal-ls and having opposite ends projecting through the slots of the walls, said settable pins being disposed nearer one wall of said second pair of walls than the other wall of said second pair oi Walls, 'a substantially U-shaped leaf spring having curved portions 'adjacent fthe end of each larrn which cooperate wirh the walls of the slot in one of said first pair of Walls to retain the pin in either a iirst or second position, and a plurality lof spaced studs on each of said pins disposed between said pin and said one wall of said sec- Cil ond pair of walls for loosely mounting 'the median portion of ythe leaf spring to eiiect a positive snap action on the pin when the latter is moved to either the said lirst or second position, the space between said :one wall and said settable pin being slightly igreater than ihe width of the leaf spring to prevent excess movement of the latter in directions norm-al to the direction of movement of the pins.

4. In a calculator, a pin supporting box including spaced oppcsitely disposed walls each provided with aligned slots, a plurality of settable pins arranged for slidable movement in direct-ions norrnal to said wall-s `and having opposite ends pnojecting through the slots of the walls, said pins being inoperative when in a rst position and operative when in a second position, three studs arranged in triangular manner `on each of said pins, mid ya substantially U-snaped leaf spring having a median portion loosely mounted between the apex stud and remaining two studs, said leaf spring having curved portions adjacent the end of `each arm to cooperate with the walls of the slot in one of said oppositely disposed vwalls to retain the pin in either the said iirst or second positions in the pin supporting box, said leaf spring erleoting a posi tive ysnap action on the settable pin when fthe pin is moved to einer position, :the Imedian portion of the spring being engaged by said `apex stud when the pin is in the first position and the said median portion of the spring being in `Contact with the remaining two studs when the pin is in the second position.

5. In a calculator, a pin supporting box including a nvr-st pair of spaced oppositeiy disposed walls provided with aligned guide way slots, a second pair of spaced walls arranged perpendicularly yto said first pair of walls, setftable pins #having opposed flat side surfaces and arranged ior slidable movement in the aligned guide way slots in `directions normal Ito said rst pair of walls, :a plurality of spaced studs on one tlat surface of each settable pin, and a movable leaf spring loosely mounted in the space between said studs, one wall of said second pair of walls being spaced inorn said yone `fiat side surface of said settable pin slightly greater than the width of the leaf spring io prevent excess movement of the leaf spring in a direction normal to ythe movement of fthe pin, each of said leaf springs provided at its opposite ends with reversely curved portions :to cooperate with opposite walls ofthe said guide way slots to hold the pin in #a rst or a second position in the pin supporting box.

References Cited in the ie of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 2,305,839 Berrendorf et al. Dec. 22, 1942 2,733,859 Landsiedel Feb. 7, 1956 2,880,931 Wernecke Apr. 7, 1959 

